Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation LP

Description

Trevor Powers‘ debut as Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation, provides the missing link between bedroom-pop contemporaries likeSmall BlackandPerfume Geniusand the bittersweet psychedelia ofMercury Revandthe Flaming Lips. Barely into his twenties when he recorded these songs,Powers‘ fragile vocals — which sound uncannily like those ofSparklehorse‘sMark Linkous— nevertheless remain strong whether hes surrounded by gentle swells of synth, as on the album-opening Posters, or mountains of sound, as on the lovely single Cannons. What makes The Year of Hibernation notable, however, is the vulnerability and empathy that radiate from every song. The album speaks to resilience in the face of hard emotions and situations, whether its with tentative hope as on Afternoon, or inevitable goodbyes as on Montana. Yet these songs arent depressing; the warmth and reassurance in 17s keyboards andPowers‘ murmurs on July shine through like a winter sunbeam. A quietly remarkable debut, The Year of Hibernation is equally suited to hiding underneath the covers and throwing them off to face the day. -All Music Guide